by Nissa Leder
As she took a step, she wavered to the left.
Jade reached out and caught her before she fell over. “At least let me help you.”
Sage leaned into Jade’s support. She wasn’t one to accept help often, but the poison had wreaked havoc on her body. Her limbs felt as heavy as mountains. Without Jade’s assistance, she’d never make it to Vienna’s body in time.
Jade wrapped her arm around Sage’s waist as they took slow, short steps. Heaviness pressed into Sage’s eyes, urging her to close them for only a moment. But she fought off the pressure and focused on each individual step.
When they exited the tent, some of the Woodland sisters noticed them. Wenda rushed over and slung Sage’s free arm around her shoulder, holding the rest of her weight.
As Jade and Wenda carried Sage, every sister they passed by bowed.
Sage fought the weight of her eyelids as they approached Vienna’s body, which rested on a raised bed.
She was dressed in a formal fighting top and skirt, with her arms folded across her chest. A crown of Autumn leaves rested on her head. Her eyes were shut as if she was only taking a long slumber.
Sage ran a finger down her bare arms. Thanks to the magic they’d preserved her with, her skin was still warm, as if she would wake at any moment. But she wouldn’t. Magic couldn’t bring back the dead, at least not in any way Sage knew of. And even if it could, that type of magic would cost too much. Vienna would never want to risk anyone else to save her life. Not only did the magic keep her warm, but it had healed her wounds. If Tamara had really sliced her throat, any signs of the wound were now gone.
Tears pooled in Sage’s eyes, flooding over and dripping down both her cheeks and falling to the earth below. She didn’t fight the tears. There was no point.
She remembered sitting with Vienna the night they first kissed. How the moon had danced in the queen’s eyes as something else built behind her gaze. Vienna was kind and thoughtful, fierce and determined. She believed in what their tribe stood for, but also believed in the good in all fae.
And now she was dead.
Sage had believed Jade when she’d told her what Tamara had done. But seeing Vienna’s lifeless body rooted the truth into Sage like a tree dug its way into the earth.
And now that Sage had defeated Tamara, she could become the Woodland Queen. But should she?
Sage slipped her hand underneath Vienna’s. “What do I do now?”
Carefully, because the poison still affected her equilibrium, she kneeled down and rested her forehead against Vienna’s thigh until, sometime later, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“It’s time,” Jade said.
Sage lifted her head and turned to her. A circle had formed around them. All the Woodland sisters were lined up as they had been to witness Sage’s battle against Tamara, now ready to give their last respects to their former queen.
Jade and Wenda helped Sage stand again, but before they walked away, Sage leaned in once more and kissed each of Vienna’s eyelids. “Goodbye, my love.”
As they made their way to join the circle, everyone around them stared at Sage then dipped onto their knees.
“To our new queen,” one said.
Everyone repeated in unison, “To our new queen.”
A chill slithered up Sage’s legs, through her torso, and to her head. Jade and Wenda stared at her, waiting for a cue.
She could stay standing and give herself some time to think about her decision. She’d defeated Tamara, but she hadn’t formally accepted the right of Woodland Queen. She could give the honor to someone she deemed fit. Jade would make a strong queen. She had a gentle soul like Vienna.
Sage was different. She wasn’t as ruthless as Tamara, but she was stubborn and reactive at times. Fighting with a sword seemed easier than fighting with words. Would she be any better at ruling the tribe than Tamara would have been?
But Sage had learned a lot from Vienna. It might take some work, but she could learn to think first and act second. And she wasn’t above asking for counsel. The best rulers never ruled alone. They used the resources around them to strengthen their kingdoms.
With a deep breath, Sage lowered herself toward the ground.
Jade and Wenda helped her to a knee then stepped away and both faced her and kneeled.
Sage dropped her head and, by doing so, accepted her position as the new Woodland Queen.
Kaelem had hated leaving Scarlett.
He’d hated the idea that she might enter the Spirit Realm and never come back. He hated that she wouldn’t let him stay so he could be there when she awoke. If she awoke.
No, she would wake. She had to.
They needed her if they stood a chance at winning this war.
He needed her. Because she’d brought out something in him he never knew existed. A person capable of caring for someone so much, he’d risk everything for her. He’d felt that love as a brother to Aria. From the moment his sister had left his mother’s womb, he would have died to save her.
But it was different with Scarlett. There was no blood between them. And the love he felt for her consumed him in a way nothing ever had. And not in a way that he needed to protect her like he did his little sister—though he wanted Scarlett to stay safe—but he cared for her in a way that he respected her ability to make her own choices, no matter how much he didn’t like them.
So, he did what she asked and returned to the Unseelie Court to inform everyone the battle was coming.
When he arrived back at his palace, Kaelem found Lola in her living room. As advisor, she was given an entire floor apartment on the living quarters wing to herself in the palace. She had her own bedroom, living room, and even kitchen, though she was always welcomed to dine in the formal dining room and have the brownies prepare her meals. But Lola usually cooked for herself.
After Lola buzzed him in from the elevator, Kaelem stepped into her living room.
Lola was curled underneath a knitted blanket on the couch facing a large television. A young fae man who Kaelem didn’t recognize sat in the red chair to the side, with his feet resting on a matching ottoman.
“You’re back,” Lola said as Kaelem entered the room.
Kaelem stared at the other fae.
“Oh, right,” Lola said. “This is my brother, Nox.”
Nox stood and bowed. “My king.”
Kaelem nodded. He and Lola skipped all the formalities. She’d been his advisor long enough, and as surprising as some might find it, he wasn’t a big fan of the unneeded showing of fealty.
“Nice to meet you,” Kaelem said.
“Nox came to visit me for a few days,” Lola said. “He spends most of his time in the mortal realm so I barely get to see him anymore.”
“Speaking of which, I should be getting back.” Nox started toward the door.
“You live in the mortal realm?” Kaelem asked.
Nox nodded then gave a nervous glance to Lola. “Yes, but I am still loyal to the Unseelie Court.”
“Yes, of course.” Kaelem found his anxiousness humorous. Did he think Kaelem would challenge him to a duel if he no longer claimed himself Unseelie? “How long have you lived there?”
“Two years,” Nox said.
Kaelem walked over and sat next to Lola on the couch. The idea of fae choosing to live amongst the mortals still surprised him, but it also fascinated him. He needed to update Lola on everything, but he wanted to ask a few more questions first. “What made you choose to live there? Feel free to speak candidly. I’m genuinely curious.”
Nox glanced at Lola again, who nodded. “The mortal world is far more interesting. A constant feast of emotion. They’re always exuding some form of strong feeling. Anger, jealousy, greed, lust. They are always drawn to our beauty, which makes for some interesting experiences.” He grinned.
Despite his nervousness around him, Kaelem could sense a lot of himself in Nox.
“And there are a lot of others like you who prefer the human realm?”
“More all of
the time,” Nox said. “Many of them have chosen to disassociate with their born courts and consider themselves Solitary.”
“But you don’t?”
“My family has been part of the Unseelie Court for generations and, though I don’t choose to reside here, I don’t want to erase my heritage.” Nox’s body language had relaxed, no longer radiating any fear toward Kaelem.
“That’s good to hear. How would you like an official Unseelie job?”
Curiosity flashed in Nox’s eyes. “I’m listening.”
“I’ve heard a rumor that some humans are aware of our kind, and have begun to develop a strategy against us,” Kaelem said. “I need someone to learn more about this potential group and bring me back any other important information you might hear. You will be well rewarded.”
This earned a grin from Nox. “Spying on humans for the Unseelie King? Sign me up.”
“Perfect. Now, I need to speak to your sister about some official court stuff.”
“So, make myself scarce.” Nox laughed. “Got it.”
After he was gone, Lola asked, “How did everything go?”
Kaelem updated her on what they had learned about the ritual and Scarlett’s vision. “They’re attacking tomorrow. Scarlett is currently in the Spirit Realm to seek answers. If she doesn’t make it out, we’ll have to battle without her.”
Lola’s eyes widened. “We stand no chance without her.”
Kaelem wanted to disagree, but he couldn’t. “We will have no choice but to try. I will not just hand over the Unseelie Court to Morta. Our only hope is that she brings the dagger with her. Perhaps she will want her sister to stab Scarlett with it so they will have all the power for themselves. And if it’s there and I can get ahold of it, then I can stab her.”
“You might be an Unseelie King, but your power won’t stand a chance against her,” Lola said. “No offense.”
He shook his head with a chuckle. “Way to give me confidence.” He was no fool. It would take all the luck in the world for him to find a way to stab Morta without Scarlett’s help. But if it came to that, he would try.
“I need a message sent to Laik immediately. Our armies need to head to the Otherworld right away. Our only hope is a united front. If her army attacks the Otherworld army without us, it will be a massacre. But together, we stand a chance.”
Lola lifted the blanket off of her legs and tossed it over the back of the couch. “Very well. I will get a message out immediately and let the General know to prepare our soldiers.”
Kaelem and Lola left her apartment together.
While she did her job, he would prepare himself.
The war had arrived, and he prayed that Scarlett would pass through the Spirit Realm and be there to fight alongside him when the time came.
Chapter Sixteen
A forest of bare trees surrounded Scarlett. A path split the forest in two, pointing in only two directions. The way behind her led to snow-capped mountains, reaching high into the gray sky. The way ahead continued through the trees.
In the distance, a hint of blue peaked above.
Scarlett glanced between the options. Though she couldn’t be sure, something inside her urged her to head away from the mountains. With nothing else to go off of, she listened.
Small piles of snow were scattered on the ground between the trees, but the path remained bare.
Silence hovered around her. There were no bird chirps. No crunching of twigs beneath her feet. No voices in the distance. Nothing.
She was alone.
She needed to hurry. Morta would soon attack whether Scarlett made it to the battle or not. If Morta learned Scarlett was there in the Spirit Realm, she’d likely attack sooner.
She quickened her steps through the endless trees. Maybe she should have gone the other way. Nothing around her had changed. Trees to her left. Trees to her right. And a perfectly straight path cutting in between.
After a few minutes, a Y appeared in the path.
Scarlett hesitated. Both ways looked the same, with nothing but trees lying ahead.
A shuffling noise startled her.
From the path to the left, ahead, a figure stepped out from the trees, walking straight toward Scarlett.
As the person approached, Scarlett’s heart hammered in her chest.
It was Natalie, dressed in a simple white dress and barefoot.
Wasn’t she cold?
“Scarlett!” Her voice was as energetic as always. “You’ve come to save me!”
Save her? Was Natalie somehow trapped in this realm?
“Teddy will be so excited,” Natalie said. “Come, follow me.”
“Teddy’s here too?” Scarlett took three steps toward the path on the left.
“Of course, silly.” Natalie turned.
Excitement and relief swirled through Scarlett as she watched Natalie grow smaller as she pressed on further down the path. Could she bring her friends back with her? Scarlett took a few more steps toward Natalie.
A feeling of wrongness punched Scarlett’s chest, yanking away the hope inside her.
She froze.
As much as she wanted to believe this was real, that it was really Natalie prancing down the path ahead, she knew it was too good to be true. No. It wasn’t her. It was only part of Scarlett’s memory.
With a sigh, Scarlett turned around and headed back to the Y. If her memory of Natalie wanted her to go down this path, it must be the wrong one.
“Wait!” Natalie turned and ran back to Scarlett. “What are you doing? We have to get Teddy.”
“I can’t,” Scarlett said. “I need to go this way.”
“You don’t want to save us?” A wave of pain flashed in Natalie’s eyes. “I knew we were never important to you.”
“Of course you were.” Scarlett knew this wasn’t the real Natalie, but somehow she had to defend herself. “I would have done everything I could to protect you. I tried.”
Natalie laughed. “Apparently not. You should have known he’d come for us. We were merely weak humans. Easy pickings.”
Scarlett breathed in and turned toward the right side of the path.
As she began to take it, Natalie said, “And now you’re going to leave me trapped here forever. Because you have more important people to protect.”
This time, Scarlett ignored the bait and kept walking.
Natalie didn’t follow.
Gradually, the trees began to bear leaves. At first, it was only a few per branch, but the further Scarlett walked, the fuller the trees grew.
Finally, another fork appeared.
Scarlett had taken the right side last time. Maybe this time she should take the left? But then again, maybe not.
Another figure in white approached from the right path, and when Scarlett realized who it was this time, a wave of exhilaration nearly pushed her over.
Her mother, with her hair in one long braid as she’d often worn it when Scarlett had been little, approached her with a bouquet in her hand.
“My dear Scarlett.” She smiled and sniffed the flowers.
“Mom.” Scarlett’s voice was higher pitched than normal, more like her four-year-old self.
“You know it isn’t really me.” She stepped closer. “But I’m everything you remember.”
She wasn’t even trying to fool Scarlett as Natalie had. There was no guilt in her words. So why was she there?
“You’ve grown into a beautiful woman.” Her mother pulled a yellow rose from the bouquet and handed it to Scarlett. “I’m so proud of you.”
Scarlett took the stem and pulled the rose to her chest. “I miss you so much.” Even if this wasn’t really her mom, talking to her brought a wave of peace to Scarlett that she’d never felt before. “I’ve always wanted a chance to say goodbye to you. You left me so suddenly.”
Her mother reached out and took Scarlett’s hand into her own. “I didn’t want to go. I wanted to be there for you so much longer. But the choice wasn’t mine.”
Scarlett nodded. Of course, she knew that now. But for a while, she’d thought her mother had chosen to leave. But even if she had, life was always complicated. It wouldn’t have meant she’d wanted to go. Not really.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t patient with you,” Scarlett said, even if it wasn’t actually her mother listening. “I could have been better.”
Her mother shook her head. “You were wonderful. Everything I could have asked for in a daughter. And you’ve grown into such a strong woman. You’ve faced so much with strength.”
Instinctively, Scarlett pulled her mother into a hug. Her body felt warm against hers as it always had, as if she really was there, hugging her.
“We could go spend a day together,” her mother said. “We could relive some of your favorite memories. Anything is possible down this path.”
Despite it being nothing more than her imagination, Scarlett wanted to follow her mother down the path to the right more than anything. She’d wished for a chance like this so many times. Just one more day to see her mother smile. To laugh together. To tell her about everything she’d missed since she’d been gone.
If Scarlett chose to go with her, she could ask her mother all the questions she wanted answers to, questions she’d thought of so many times since her mother had died. Even if it wasn’t actually her mother answering, it would feel as if it were.
She would never get this chance again.
But Morta was coming for her castle. For her people. For her friends. If she got pulled down the path of memory, she might get lost. And the candle was burning. Scarlett needed to find her way to the end before it burned out if she wanted answers.
Just as Natalie had been, this was a test. And if she chose her past, she risked her future.
Tears poured from Scarlett’s eyes. “Goodbye.”
She turned and, though her feet were as heavy as stone, kept moving toward the path on her left.
Like ice melting in the sun, every step became easier.
The forest began to thin until the trees disappeared completely, giving way to a field of tulips instead.
A slight breeze picked up, blowing their sweet scent all around Scarlett.